


I'm proud of you...

by JNS



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Canon Universe, Developing Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-13
Updated: 2017-09-13
Packaged: 2018-12-27 15:59:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12084384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JNS/pseuds/JNS
Summary: Waverly and Nicole talk after Willa walks in on them in the barn - s1e12





	I'm proud of you...

**Author's Note:**

> I've not written fanfic in a ridiculously long time but something about this pairing made me get back into it, all feedback appreciated. S1 just went up on Netflix UK so naturally I watched it all again and got some ideas, I always wondered how the conversation would go after Willa interrupted them in the barn so here is my take on that.

_“Sorry. Wow…Wynonna never said anything about you being a…a gay...” Willa said flatly, interrupting potentially the most positive moment Waverly had had for days. She could feel Nicole’s eyes on her but Waverly couldn’t bring herself to make eye contact and she didn’t know why. “Oh geez, you haven’t told her.” Waverly didn’t remember much about Willa but this all seemed too familiar and she didn’t like it one bit. ‘Willa is mean’ was all that circulated in Waverly’s brain for a second. She felt like a child._

_“I have to go..” Nicole stood off the makeshift bed in the barn, grabbing her jumper and finally Waverly was able to look her in the eye, there was hint of sadness there and it seemed like it was from more than being interrupted. “Call me later!” Nicole raised her eyebrows to let Waverly know this was not just an empty gesture, they were going to need to talk about this and Waverly nodded just ever so slightly to let the retreating redhead know that it would be honoured._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Waves…are you ok?” Nicole breathed down the line to Waverly, she lay on her couch in her living room, cell to her ear, staring up at the ceiling. She had had this experience before, the discovery by someone who she had not been willing to share with yet. It did not feel good and even though she was a teenager at the time she couldn’t imagine that Waverly was feeling anything different to what that scared 16 year old, who’s mother walked in on her and a friend from school ‘practicing kissing’, felt. All Nicole could see in Waverly’s eyes when Willa walked in was shame, she had no idea whether it was shame from keeping whatever this was a secret from her family or shame of it being found out when Waverly never wanted it to be public. 

“I’m fine Nicole.” Waverly’s answer was abrupt, unfeeling, like she was hiding something from the woman who she was willing to share everything with just a few hours previous. “I…just…” She couldn’t get the words out, something felt like it had been stolen from Waverly but she just couldn’t verbalise exactly what it was. 

“I get it. I do!” Nicole tried to inject some energy into the conversation, she needed to know that Waverly wasn’t freaking out about this and without seeing her face to face she just couldn’t know unless Waverly would really talk to her. She had considered a video chat but truthfully she had shed a couple tears on the way home due to her own painful memories resurfacing and she didn’t want Waverly to see that. “Your face when…when Willa used the word gay, I…I just need to know that didn’t scare you or make you not want to do this anymore!” Nicole held her breath for the entirety of that sentence and for a couple seconds after, this could have been it for whatever relationship the two were forming. This was so new for Waverly and Nicole knew exactly what it was like coming out, the good, the bad and the ugly of it all and sadly relationships built during those formative periods don’t always go the distance. Nicole so badly wanted and needed this not to be over before it had barely begun. 

“It scared me.” Waverly conceded and Nicole felt her tears brimming to the surface again and the awful burn in the back of her throat. “It scared me shitless…but just for a minute, I swear! That doesn’t mean I want to stop seeing you!” Waverly was honestly more scared of how Wynonna was going to treat Nicole if she knew they were together, she was fiercely protective and she was worried that would put Nicole off. Nicole’s sigh of relief made it down the phone and Waverly instantly felt bad for putting her in that position of doubt. Waverly didn’t think anything could stop her wanting to see Nicole. 

“This is all so new for you Waves and trust me, I’ve been there, I have…I just don’t want you to be ashamed of being with me!” Nicole was focusing all her energy on making sure her voice didn’t crack. She closed her eyes in preparation for a long pause on the other end of phone. 

“I’m not ashamed of you!” Waverly said matter of fact, the instant reply sent a flurry of confidence through Nicole. Waverly was so far from ashamed of Nicole, she wanted to tell everyone they were together but it was so new and who knows where it would lead so she didn’t want to jump the gun. In her heart she knew that wasn’t going to happen as long as she had her way but she didn’t know Nicole all that well and people in Purgatory were always full of surprises. “You’re amazing Nicole but this is a small town, everyone knows me and I don’t want anyone treating you differently because of me. Namely Wynonna. She gave Champ so much shit and you don’t deserve one bit of that.” 

“I think you’re amazing too!” Nicole could feel her heart rate increase, the blood rushing to her cheeks and encouraging a smile. She hadn’t felt this way about anyone in so long and when she first found of that Waverly was dating Champ she had all but resigned to caring for Waverly from a distance. The day Waverly marched into Sheriff Nedley’s office and declared her feelings for Nicole was a day that Nicole never thought would come. The pair sat happy just to hear the other breathing down the phone, separated by so much space but in that moment they were closer than ever. 

“I need to tell Wynonna about us…so you’re going to have to ready yourself for whatever she throws at you.” Waverly broke the content silence, “Willa is going to say something, I know it, and I don’t want Wynonna feeling like I couldn’t tell her this…we tell each other everything!” There was a small part really scaring her, confirming that this was real, not some fling but if Nicole didn’t protest then it meant this was real, for both of them. Wynonna would joke about it for a while, sure, but after that would come the judgments of Nicole and whether or not she was good enough for Waverly. No one ever would be in Wynonna’s eyes but Waverly knew for a fact that she had never dated anyone this close to what Wynonna would class as good enough. 

“Forget Willa ok? Tell her when you’re ready…trust me, it’ll feel so much better that way!” Nicole’s sincerity warmed Waverly’s core, she was so willing to take things slow even when Waverly knew it pushed Nicole’s progress of accepting who she was back a little. She would get over the slight fear she had of the whole town knowing she was dating a women, Christ she got over the whole towns judgment of her last name a long time ago and in the grand scheme of things this was nothing compared to her family history. “I’ve got to go get ready for this party tonight, Nedley is making us all go along…” Nicole didn’t want to attend but whether she was in uniform or not it was a work thing, according to the Sheriff, so she had zero choice in the matter. 

“Oh yeah…” Waverly tried to sound as blasé as possible. “Dolls is making us go to that as well!” 

“Oh thank god!” Nicole laughed, genuinely relieved that there would be someone she could have a proper conversation with at the event. “Sadly I won’t be in my sexy black dress but my purple gown is pretty damn good too!” Waverly could practically feel the wink from Nicole’s voice, she knew this wasn’t going to be the perfect night, if Dolls and Wynonna’s fears came to fruition but that didn’t mean she couldn’t look forward to seeing her girl all dressed up. 

“I will see you later then. Bye babe!” Waverly puckered her lips and blew a kissed through the phone which was graciously received and returned by Nicole. 

“Are you sure you’re ok?” Nicole wanted to double check, make sure that Waverly wasn’t just sparing her any hurt because in the long run it would be so much worse. She was falling hard and if she had a chance to catch herself before it was too late she wanted that. Too many falls in her past ended the same way but she had never wanted someone like this before, with every fibre of her being and boy would it hurt if Waverly wasn’t there to catch her.

“I promise and I’m ready to tell Wynonna, screw Willa and her stupid mind games.” Waverly was pissed at her eldest sister for using something so beautiful against her. A heat rose in Nicole’s stomach as she heard the words, she hadn’t been imagining the connection they shared and it made her so happy she could cry all over again. “After the party.” Waverly knew there was a chance all hell was going to break loose at this party and so maybe it would not be right after but she had set herself a goal. She was going to do this. 

“I’m proud of you…ok…bye!” They each hung up and while Waverly was a bundle of nerves for more than one reason she couldn’t help but smile. No more sneaking around, stealing kisses in the barn or being fearful of discovery. She couldn’t wait to walk hand in hand with her beautiful woman down the street and ignore any and all stares they received. Nicole couldn’t stop herself from smiling the entire time she readied herself for the party. The day may have started out crappy but at least it had not continued down that path and she really was so proud of her Waverly.

**Author's Note:**

> Nicole's face after Willa calls Waverly 'a gay' and Waverly looks down always made me so sad, thinking of all the ways that would have hurt Nicole so I needed to get the conversation that had bounced around in my head down. Also leads into why Nicole's "Kind of?!" later in the next episode is so blunt.  
> I hope you enjoyed and as I said, such a long time since I've written anything but I have a bunch of ideas for these two. Mainly little moments that we missed during the two seasons but also some canon divergent stuff/what would have happened if Wynonna hadn't interrupted so many times.


End file.
